McCoy's Easter Dream
by Mustang69
Summary: Dr. Leonard McCoy has lived longer than anyone else he has known other than Spock. The long trek of McCoy's life has only one more stop.


TITLE: McCoy's Easter Dream

.

**Teaser:** Dr. Leonard McCoy has lived longer than anyone else he has known other than Spock. The long trek of McCoy's life has only one more stop.

.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Trek. The amazing insight of the talented Gene Roddenberry created the people and the characters of such a beloved concept as Star Trek. I am just borrowing a few of them in honor of his dream … and to honor Easter.

.

**Authors Notes:** I like reflecting through Dr. McCoy's eyes. This is one of those stories that I wanted to write even if nobody reads it.

.

Leonard McCoy still got around for a man of 140 years. Today was Easter and he spent it in Plains, Georgia at Maranatha Baptist church as the guest Sunday School speaker. Other than being the home town church of a President back in the twentieth century, it had also been his own father's back when Leonard was just a boy.

Back then being the son of a Baptist preacher was an experience. People had often little time for faith in the twenty-third century. It was sometimes a point of ridicule from kids in his school back in Atlanta. He wished sometimes that they could have lived in Plains and not commuted to the church on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Leonard liked to go to the little church in Plains for its simplicity. The genuine warmth of the people and the way he could relate to the churchgoers more than his classmates back in Atlanta.

Now, on Easter night so many, many years later Leonard McCoy was thinking of his mother and father and wishing he could, for a second, walk in the little church with his dad. He remembered old Mr. Cooper who sat on the second row from the back … how he always looked angry until the music would start and then he would sing and chuckle and shake hands the rest of the morning.

His thoughts also went to Tessa Wildwood. She was his age and so beautiful. Her brown eyes and auburn hair fascinated him for a boy of 11. He wondered what ever happened to her. What was her life like? Who did she marry? It was way too late now to matter. She was long gone, as were the rest of his friends.

"Dr. McCoy, are you ready for bed?" The young nurse asked as she brought him the walker and his favorite night-cap, a mint julep.

"That … I am," McCoy said in a slightly dry voice, happy to receive the drink she handed him. "Thank you dear, you are a true Georgia peach."

The assistant got him ready for bed and within the hour, he was laying in his warm, soft bed starting to drift off to sleep. He had not really felt well during the last few days. He felt a little weak and inattentive to his daily routine. _"Must just be old age,"_ he thought.

As Leonard McCoy laid there in bed, he started to think on his life, his past, his friends, his family. He missed them, truly missed them. Going back to the church today was a long time homecoming of sorts. Not one person looked familiar and several things had changed but one thing remained the same … the old cross on the wall was still there. One a hundred and twenty-nine years ago, Leonard helped his father hang that cross on the wall … it was still there.

"It's good when some things don't change," he mumbled to himself. As sleep started to take him, an old, old, song came so clearly to his mind. He started to hum the tune, adding in the words now and then before he finally drifted off to sleep.

.

The church bell was ringing as Leonard stepped inside the Maranatha Baptist Church. Mr. Cooper was already singing to the tune as Leonard made his way forward toward the pulpit where his dad was standing, leading the choir.

"…I will cherish the old rugged cross …"

The song and the melody rang out the front door and seemed to draw more people in the small church house. It made Leonard smile as he looked around to see the Tessa Wildwood. She looked still so young. Seeing her made him look at his own hands, old and wrinkled. His hair snow white.

Making his way to the pulpit, Leonard McCoy noticed that his father stepped aside, urging Leonard to step up to the podium. He asked his father, "Dad, what am I to do?"

"Son, today is your day. Today is Easter home coming service and you are the guest speaker." His father said as he too joined in the singing.

McCoy looked across the audience. A face in the middle of the pews caught his attention, "Jim?"

McCoy turned to ask his father if that was really Jim Kirk out there. When he did James T. Kirk was standing in front of him. He was dressed in the dark red jacket he wore when McCoy last saw him alive.

"Jim, what are you doing here?" A big smile came across McCoy's face at seeing his old friend. He immediately pulled his arms around his friend and gave him a hug before backing off to take a second look at him.

"Well Bones, I couldn't just leave you here forever. We need you back on the ship."

McCoy looked confused, "The ship?"

"Yes, we have a mission to get back to doctor. Don't take too long saying goodbye, you know how cranky Spock gets these days when your late," Kirk said as he turned his back to the doctor and walked off the podium.

Someone tapped Leonard of the arm. He wheeled around quickly to find himself in the high priestess quarters on Yonada. Natira, you're here too?"

"Actually, McCoy is here with me … on Yonada. Today is a day of joy. We reach our new home. McCoy came back to join us in that celebration?" Natira was as beautiful as he remembered her to be. She had been his wife, if only for a day. Yet, she had never left his mind in all the years that followed.

Hesitating for a moment McCoy eventually said, "Why yes, yes I am."

It seemed like they danced and laughed and greeted others for over an hour. All the time he was captivated by her simple beauty. He wanted to stay with her forever but he knew he had places to go, things to do.

Whirling by a mirror McCoy noticed that he was younger, much younger. His blue shirt told him that he was part of the original Enterprise. Eventually the music stopped and the people left the room. McCoy was alone with Natira.

"I will wait for you McCoy, as I always have, as I always will," she said as she touched his face. She leaned in closer to him and their lips met in a soft loving embrace. McCoy closed his eyes as his tongue touched hers is a loving dance of gentle appreciation.

Opening his eyes, McCoy saw that he was somewhere outside in a warm and dusty area with some greenery. "This is certainly not Yonanda," he muttered. Somehow he knew that it was somewhere on earth, somewhere ancient.

People, humanoid but somehow different, were standing near a rock alcove. They were dressed in robes and simple sandals. What appeared to be a guard in ancient roman attire lay asleep against a rock outcropping.

McCoy pulled the tricorder from his side and began scanning. The readings showed that they were more energy than human. Other readings seemed hard to pinpoint.

He walked over to the two men standing by what appeared to be a man-made cave of some sort. Not knowing what else to try, he went for the direct approach. "Hey, I am Leonard McCoy of the federation starship, Enterprise. Who are you?"

"He who you seek is not here.," one of the men said

"He is risen," the other chimed in.

"Who is risen?" McCoy asked. "Who do you ...," then it dawned on him, "Christ?"

"Logically doctor, which would be the inevitable conclusion given the period attire and subtle religious earth references to the one known as Jesus Christ."

Whirling around McCoy saw the source of the voice standing behind him, "Spock?" McCoy said with a smile crossing his face. "Where are we? What's going on here? Where's Jim?

Raising an eyebrow, Spock looked at McCoy in slight puzzlement. "Surely Doctor, I need not explain the obvious."

"Allow me to explain Leonard." The voice came from all around him yet, a simple man of about 5'9 and 160 pounds, stood in front of him. The man seemed radiant although only dressed in a simple while robe. Being a doctor, McCoy immediately noticed the significant tissue damage to the man's hands and feet.

"Leonard, you have been on an extraordinary journey for many years. It is the journey of human life. Each life is so vastly different."

McCoy looked hard at the humble man who looked to be in his early thirties. The good doctor already instinctively knew the man however, McCoy felt compelled to confess His name, "You're … the Christ."

With a heart-warming smile, the man simply said, "I am."

McCoy didn't know what to say. His thoughts became words, "Why am I so blessed to meet you, here, now?"

"Leonard, you have loved, cried, hurt, helped, healed, laughed, and lived … all many times. However the one most important moment happened so early in your life. You never let the words of your father, David, leave your heart. Those words led you to a decision … to now … to me."

The man stretched out his hand and pointed to scene that seemed just a few feet away, yet looked like a different time and place. McCoy remembered it well. He was all of 11 years old. He had gone with his parents to the beach in Savannah the Saturday before Easter. The week before, he had heard his dad preach a sermon about believing.

As the scene unfolded in front of McCoy's eyes, the realization of the moment became all too clear. McCoy watched as the boy of 11 got down on his knees that evening as the sun set on the horizon. With a single tear welling up in his young eye, all he said was, "I believe."

"My Lord God Almighty," McCoy whispered.

"Your faith has strayed from time to time. You once thought my Father's house was at the center of the galaxy. When you did not find Him there, your faith became dim for several years but eventually Leonard the love and light in your soul shown through. It led you here, to this moment Leonard. Welcome home."

The scene of his childhood had faded. McCoy let several tears fall from his eyes. He looked down at the sandy dirt and the coating of dust on his black boots. When he looked back up the man was gone, Spock was gone … McCoy was alone.

He just stood there for a full minute, thinking about his friends, his family, his long life. It had all gone so quickly. It was like one day he was a young boy back in his dad's church and the next day he was 140 years old.

Looking at himself the best he could, it appeared he was at the time period when he felt the most alive he recalled ever feeling, when he was the chief medical officer of the Enterprise on her first five year mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations. He felt most alive during those years boldly going where no man had gone before.

"Ready Bones?" a familiar voice said once more.

Looking toward the entrance to the cave, he saw Jim Kirk, dressed in his yellow captain's uniform. Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura were standing with him. McCoy slowly walked over to his old friend.

"Jim, I-I'm ready," McCoy said with a new found certainty in his voice.

Kirk pulled out his communicator and flipped it open.

"Oh," McCoy exclaimed all the sudden, "where's Spock? Isn't he coming?"

"Mr. Spock said he will be along shortly. He has a mission to complete first," a very young Ensign Checkov replied in his customary Russian accent.

With that, McCoy stepped closer to Kirk and turned to face the spot where he had met his Lord. McCoy knew it was time. His time was long overdue. God had graced him with so many feelings and emotions over the years; it had made his life so rich. Now, it was time. The race was finally run. He was truly going home.

Kirk gave McCoy a reassuring touch on the shoulder then dropped his arm to his side as he spoke into the open communicator, "Energize."

.

The end

**A/N:** Sometimes we tend to think Easter is just about a bunny and eggs.


End file.
